Mobile Influences Travel Decision Making

Just because vacation is booked doesn’t mean the research is all done. Part five of this six-part series on travel micro-moments dives into the can’t-wait-to-explore moments that happen after travelers have booked—and how travel marketers can capitalize.

When it comes to travel planning, that gleeful moment your itinerary is all set is when things start to get real. There’s probably a moment when you can almost start to hear the waves crash on the shore, or see the fresh snow coming down on the mountain. Vacation. Is. Near. Now you can start to think about all the things you’ll do and see while you’re there.

These can’t-wait-to-explore moments occur when travelers start to look forward to their trip, and increasingly when they’re finally at their destination. Travel marketers may think that a secured booking is the end of the road when it comes to serving travelers’ needs. But providing useful information in these particular micro-moments is a way to build your brand, drive word of mouth, and increase loyalty among travelers.85% of leisure travelers decide on activities only after having arrived at the destination.

Nearly nine out of 10 travelers expect their travel provider to share relevant information while they are on their trip.1 And 67% of travelers feel more loyal toward a travel company that shares information during their trip that improves their travel experience.

Smartphones are changing travel industry trends by enabling people to be more spontaneous when they arrive at their destination. In fact, 85% of leisure travelers decide on activities only after having arrived at the destination.2

Snapshot of a real traveler’s decision-making journey

Online interactions are increasingly shaping how people make a plan for their next trip. New clickstream data from Luth Research’s opt-in panel (illustrating the pages a user visited, and in which order) provides a snapshot of what a real traveler’s can’t-wait-to-explore moments actually looked like. By analyzing this traveler’s searches, clicks, website visits, and video views while she was gearing up for and experiencing her planned trip, we can start to see exactly how and how much digital played a role in influencing her destinations.

Meet Brooke. Brooke is a 35-year-old mom who recently traveled from Tennessee to her alma mater in Baton Rouge with her family for a marathon.

Take a look at Brooke’s travel micro-moments over the course of two weeks leading up to and during her three-day trip.